Forever and Always
by BittyAB18
Summary: "I'll love you forever / Forever and always / Please just remember / Even if I'm not there / I'll always love you / Forever and always" An AU story about love, loss, and friendship. This is a one-shot! There will be no sequel or continuation. Loren/Cameron; Loren/Eddie


**Forever and Always**

**A **_**Hollywood Heights **_**Story**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything familiar.**

**Song Recommendation: **_**Today Was A Fairy Tale **_**by Taylor Swift; **_**Forever & Always **_**by Parachute **

**Author's Note: Taking a little time out of studying for finals to write this one-shot. This is AU. I hope you enjoy it. I made up Cameron's last name for this story; something different from my other story, because it is a different plot. **

* * *

Loren was sitting in her dorm room with her laptop propped up in her lap. Her roommate was doing a lot of damage to her textbook with a highlighter. Loren was in the middle of writing a paper that was due the following Friday, but she was going home for the weekend, so she was going to hand it in on Wednesday's class. Her computer chirped, letting her know that someone was trying to Skype with her. She glanced at Tara to see if it would be okay to answer it. Tara shrugged, setting the book aside and stretching. "I needed a break anyways. I can't stare at anything biological anymore." She stood up and walked to get her water bottle from the fridge. Loren smiled, saving and minimizing her paper before clicking on the Skype icon. She grinned when she realized that it was Mel.

"Hey, Mels." Loren said, running a hand through her hair. "You realize that you are going to see me in three days, right?" She laughed.

"I know, but I am beyond excited. You'll never guess what I saw on twitter last night." Loren rolled her eyes at Melissa's crazed voice and expression. Loren used to check twitter like it was an obsession when she was in high school, but the last two years at Brown had left her so busy that she barely had time to check it or update it; she even shut off the alerts after the first week of classes, because school was so demanding. She needed school to be that busy, though, so she didn't have any complaints.

"What did you see on Twitter?" Loren asked Mel as her hand naturally began to play with her necklace.

"Eddie Duran is going to have a small concert at his dad's club on Saturday night. I got us tickets. I know you are going to be so appreciative, but I am always willing to hear gratitude." Loren's hand tightened into a fist over her necklace.

"I don't know if I will be up for it…" Loren began.

"Oh, Lo…" Mel said frowning. "I know that this weekend is hard for you, but you know that he wouldn't want you to be miserable for the rest of your life. You know it is okay to have fun and be happy, right?" Loren shook her head, wiping at her cheek.

"Mel, I love that you got us tickets. I am. But, you should invite Ade to go with you. I am sure that she would love a night of Mommyhood off." She said, trying to fake a smile.

"How about this? The ticket will be for you, but if you aren't feeling like you can do it on Saturday night, I will ask Ade to go with me, okay?" Loren nodded. She would try for Mel, but she didn't think that she would be able to go to the concert that night. After their call ended, Loren returned to her paper. She spent the next few days getting as much of her schoolwork done so that she didn't have anything to do on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday while she was back in California.

* * *

Loren arrived in LAX at 10:30 in the morning. Once she made it out of security, she screamed loudly when she saw Melissa and her mom waiting for her by baggage. She ignored the strange looks on the faces of the other people as she ran towards them. Mel and Nora raced toward her, yelling that they were excited to see her, too. The three of them collided into a three-person hug. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and Loren looked up to see a glaring airport security guard with his arms crossed. "You can't scream like that in the airport."

"Oh, my god! I am so sorry! I just haven't seen them in so long!" She apologized. "I really didn't mean to cause a scene. It wasn't my intention!" The man glared at her for a few moments before he nodded his head, moving back to where he normally stood guard. Loren bit her lip and turned her attention back to her mom and Mel. "Holy shit! I was so scared I was going to get arrested by airport security."

"Come on. I am starved. Let's go get some lunch. Where do you want to go?" Loren asked as she entwined her arm with Mel as they walked to the revolving baggage machine. Loren pointed out her bag and her mom grabbed it, handing it to Loren as the three of them made their way out of the airport.

"What about Rumor," Nora asked as they made their way to where she had parked in the parking garage. Loren just stared at her.

"Since when are we Rumor people?"

"Since your mom started working for Max Duran." Mel supplied as she and Loren climbed into the car after Loren had put her bag into the trunk.

"Wait—what?" Loren said, turning in the passenger seat to look at her mom.

"After the clinic burned down, I needed a job. It turns out that Max Duran needed someone to look over the books of the club, so he put out an ad in the paper. I applied and got the job." Loren's jaw dropped open.

"Holy shit!" She laughed, smacking her mom gently on the upper arm.

"Loren, watch your mouth. You may be twenty years old, but you are still my kid." Nora said with a mock-glare. Loren rolled her eyes.

"But, that doesn't explain why we are Rumor people, though. If I remember correctly, Max's club is called MK." Loren said as she buckled her seatbelt. Nora nodded her head, looking over her shoulder as she reversed from the parking spot, heading out of the parking garage toward home.

"I told Max that I needed today off so that I could pick you up from the airport, and he insisted on making a reservation for three for us at Rumor for lunch, on him." Loren cocked an eyebrow at her mom. That wasn't normal boss behavior; the last boss who did that kind of stuff for her mom had been Don, and he was definitely into her mom more than a platonic interest in Nora.

"I keep telling Nora that it sounds like a certain rock star has the hots for her." Mel said from the backseat in a sing-songy voice as she applied a fresh coat of lip gloss. Loren laughed before laying a serious look at her mother.

"Mom, is there something you need to tell me?" Loren asked suggestively.

"Oh, stop it! Both of you!" Nora said, throwing a perturbed look at Loren before focusing back on the road. "Max is just being a nice guy. He was the one who gave me the tickets for Eddie's show tomorrow night because I told him that you were a big fan of his son." Nora smiled softly to herself.

"So _you_ got the tickets, huh?" Loren said, turning the best she could to look at Mel.

"Hey! You never asked who my hookup was!" Mel said, laughing. Loren rolled her eyes and turned back to her mom.

"Yeah, I figured that you could use a good time tomorrow night. He even said that you should come by in the afternoon for sound check." Nora said softly. "What time did you plan on going to see him?" Loren closed her eyes, grabbing her necklace.

"Um, about ten, I think. I was going to spend a few hours with him; bring lunch." Loren said after a few moments. Her voice was heavy with sadness, but she was relieved to see that she wasn't going to start crying. It was too early to cry.

"Loren, if you aren't feeling up to it, I totally understand, but I think you should come by tomorrow. The concert would be good for you." Loren nodded at her mom, giving her a quick, broken smile.

"Yeah…I will try. I can't make any promises." She whispered.

* * *

When Loren woke the next morning, it was kind of gray out for a Saturday in early March. She barely ate any breakfast that morning; she mainly dug her spoon into the cereal bowl and then poured it back into the bowl, watching as the cereal became bigger and soggier until it broke apart into a bunch of mushy pieces. She dumped it into the sink and turned on the garbage disposal to grind up the last of it as it fell down the drain. She walked into her bedroom to shower and get dressed. When she emerged from the shower, she blew her hair dry and then straightened it. She did her makeup to be primarily natural with nude gloss, a little pinkish-bronzer on her cheeks, and gray eye shadow. Her hands shook, so it took a few minutes for her to apply the black eyeliner and mascara. She dressed in a black sundress and black cardigan sweater. She pulled on her black ankle boots and studied herself in her mirror. The outfit was perfect for today and would be suitable for the concert that night, if she decided to go.

Loren packed her black purse with everything she would need that day: her cell phone, her keys, tissues, and a small makeup bag with her lip gloss, concealor, eyeliner, and mascara in it. She walked out of her room and made her way into the kitchen where she began preparing lunch. She made a small salad, a pastrami sandwich, a bag of chips, and an apple juice. It was their favorite lunch to eat together. Loren had to close her eyes a few times as she prepared it to keep from crying. She took a deep breath after she packed the food into the insulated lunch bag with an ice pack to keep everything cool. She walked out the front door, locking it behind her. Her mother had already left for work at the club, taking a cab there so that Loren could borrow the car that day.

Loren carefully drove to the florist, picking out a small bouquet of six white roses. She laid them on the passenger seat beside her purse and the lunch bag before driving to the cemetery. When she arrived, she sat in the car for a moment before climbing out. She grabbed her purse and the lunch bag in one hand, the bouquet in the other, and walked to his grave. She placed the bags down and carefully sat down by the headstone. She felt the tears fill her eyes as she laid her hands on the front of the headstone over the engraved heart and doves at the top of it. She let out a shaky breath as she moved her fingers to trace the words that were engraved into the headstone.

_Cameron Alexander Crain_

_January 21, 1992 – March 23, 2011_

"_I'll love you forever  
Forever and always  
Please just remember  
Even if I'm not there  
I'll always love you  
Forever and always…"_

It had been Loren's idea that Cam's parents have those words engraved into the tombstone. Even though he had said them to Loren on his final day with them, she knew that they were how he would feel about everyone—his parents, his brother and his family, his friends. Everyone who meant anything to him. Loren closed her eyes, letting the tears pour down her cheeks as she leaned her forehead against the tombstone. "Hey, Cam," she whispered. "I have missed you so much."

Loren was silent for about ten minutes, just breathing, crying, and leaning against his tombstone. After a while, she leaned back from the tombstone, wiping at her cheeks and smiling sadly at it. "So, I guess I should tell you about school. I think that the amount of work has pretty much doubled," she laughed humorlessly. "The professors expect twice as much of us now that we are sophomores. I can't imagine what my junior and senior years are going to be like. No matter how much work they throw at us, Cam, they will be nothing like freshman year, though." She whispered, wiping her cheek. "That first year without you was one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with." Loren took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. She let herself stay silent for a few more minutes, just picturing him in her head.

"I still feel like a piece of me is missing, Cam. I feel guilty sometimes, because I wake up and feel happy, you know? I wake up and for a second, I feel like a normal girl, but then I remember that I am not a normal girl. The guilt is overwhelming, because you aren't here. I know that I shouldn't feel that way; I know that you wouldn't want me to feel guilty and sad all of the time, but I do. I want you here, Cam. I love you so much, even though you have been gone for two years now." She wipes at her cheeks. "I can't believe that it has been two years, Cam. I just wish that you were with me."

Loren raised her hands to the back of her neck to remove the necklace. She carefully slid two of the rings off of it, leaving the third on the chain. She draped the chain over the ground in front of his tombstone. She pressed the silver ring with a small round sapphire to her lips with her eyes closed. Cameron had given her ring the day that she found out she had gotten into Brown. It was December, and he had bought it that day with Adam to give to Loren for Christmas, but when she came running into the café, waving the acceptance letter around, he decided to give it to her then. Mel, being Mel, got the whole thing on video on the camcorder that she carried with her everywhere. Loren had thought that Cam was crazy for proposing to her when they were still seniors in high school, but she had agreed to marry him once they both had graduated from college. She slid the plain silver band on before the sapphire engagement ring. She stared at her hand, amazed that it always made her hand feel lighter when they were on, rather than heavier. She closed her eyes and let herself daydream about what their lives would have been like had Cameron not gotten into a car accident and died in surgery.

Loren talked to Cameron about her daydream, saying that they would have spent the entire summer together before she had to leave for school. They would have stuck it out for the first year, spending every break together and taking turns going to see the other on weekends throughout the school year. She told him that they would have probably gotten into a fight over one of them getting close to a classmate while working on a class project and broken up in September of their sophomore year, but then when she came home for Thanksgiving, they would see each other and get back together again. Then next two and half years would be hard, but they would stick it out, and he would come with her mom and Mel to see her graduate from Brown. They would move in together in some crappy apartment in the Valley. She would work as a legal aide in some law office while going to UCLA for law school. He would be teaching at their old high school, probably calc or trig, to bored high school kids. They would get married halfway through law school, taking a short honeymoon to Hawaii or something and settle into their lives together. After she graduated from law school and got a job with some law firm, they would finally buy their small house in the Valley. Loren wanted a house on a hill where their kids could roll down with their friends and their pets. She talked about how they would have two kids, two boys, who would play lacrosse like their dad. They would have two dogs, a big German shepherd and a small dachshund, both girls, so that Loren didn't feel outnumbered by the boys. They would grow old together, happy, in that house and die in their sleep, wrapped up in each other's arms. That was the life they were supposed to have together.

But, that great life was cut short. Loren wiped at her cheeks, opening her lunch and began eating, talking about what her life was going to probably be like now that he was gone. She would graduate Brown and probably go to law school in the northeast, like Harvard or Columbia or something. She would stay single, throw herself into her work and get a couple of cats or dogs or something. She would be a great godmother/aunt to Mel's kids, showering them with awesome gifts. Eventually, she would move back to California, and her mom would live with her when she got too old. Loren would have a fulfilling life alone, with her pets, and her family of her mom, Mel, and Mel's kids. She would be happy, but she wouldn't be happy like she could have been with Cam.

It was just one when she began to pack up her stuff. She carefully slid the rings off of her finger and replaced them on the necklace, which she returned to its place around her neck. She laid her hand over Cameron's last words, smiling sadly at the tombstone. "I miss you, Cam." She whispered. "I love you, Cam…forever and always." She stood up, brushing the grass from her legs and butt, laying the roses against his tombstone. Loren carefully grabs the lunch bag and her purse and makes her way back to her car. She groans when she looks at herself in the mirror, using a tissue and a little spit to clean up mascara and eyeliner stains. She applies some concealor under her eyes and then reapplies the eye makeup to make it look less like she was crying. Her nose was bright red from her crying and her eyes were a little bloodshot.

"Do I go tonight?" She whispered to herself as she clutches the rings around her neck. "I don't know if I can." She decides that she would at least stop by, dropping off the car for her mom and then walk home, spending the night crying and eating ice cream. She didn't think she could make it through a concert on the second anniversary of Cam's death. It was too hard. She drives away from the cemetery in the direction of the club. She parks along the street, making her way inside. She tells the man at the door that she was here to see Nora Tate, her mother. He lets her through and she made her way into the club. She sees a few people setting up the stage, but her mom wasn't anywhere to be seen. She sighs, walking to the bar, smiling at the blond woman behind it.

"Can you tell me where Nora Tate is?" Loren asked as she ran a hand through her hair.

"She is in the back office with Max. Are you her daughter?" Loren nodded her head. "Loren, right? I'm Grace. You look like you could use a drink." Again, she nodded her head. The blond frowned, grabbing a shot glass and a taller glass. She filled the taller glass with ice water and then filled the shot glass with a clear liquid. "I won't tell your mom if you don't…" She whispered, pushing the shot glass and the water toward Loren. Loren looked at it for a moment before grabbing it and throwing her head back as she swallowed the vodka as quickly as she could. She closed her eyes, slamming the glass down, coughing at the burn in her throat and belly from the alcohol.

"Thanks," she gasped, taking a couple of large gulps from the water glass. "I needed that. I was just dropping by to leave her the keys to the car and to tell her that I just needed to be alone tonight."

"You aren't going to stay for the concert?" Grace asked, wiping down the counter after she set the shot glass into the bin for dirty glasses beneath the bar.

"It was really kind for Max to invite me and my friend, but today is not a good day for me." Loren whispered, looking away. The men who were setting up the stage headed into the back after they had set up the instruments for the concert that night. She didn't want to explain to Grace why the day sucked. Grace nodded, knowing that she needed to just be in her head. She stood up, grabbing her purse and the water glass and walked over to the stage. She carefully made her way up the steps, setting the water glass down on the stool to the side of the keyboard and dropped her purse. She ran her fingers over the keys of the keyboard, smiling sadly at the sounds it produced. She hadn't played in so long. She just didn't have the inspiration to play her guitar or the keyboard since Cam had died. Loren moved from the keyboard to the electric guitar that was set up a few feet away. There was also an acoustic guitar tucked behind it. Loren figured it was for Eddie when he played one of his softer ballads. She grabbed the acoustic and put the strap over her shoulder, running her fingers over the strings.

"You play?" Grace called out to her from the bar, leaning on it with her elbows as she watched Loren.

"I used to." Loren said, strumming it lightly, her fingers naturally began playing one of the songs she had written for Cam when they were together. She let her eyes fall close as she played the melody from memory. It was almost like she had never stopped playing, and she heard the lyrics in her head. As she began the final lines of the song, she hummed the verse in her head. She felt the tears fill her eyes as she thought about the first time she had played the song for Cameron. He had loved it, and the moment that she stopped playing, he grabbed the guitar, set it aside, and proceeded to kiss her until she was breathless as his way of thanking her. It was such a good memory, but she knew that she would never be able to get it back—get him back. When she stopped playing, she jumped when she heard several people clapping. Her eyes flew open and then grew wide when she took in the sight of Eddie Duran, a black man she didn't know, Max Duran, Grace, and Nora. "Oh, my god! I am sorry!" She quickly pulled the guitar off, setting it down where it had been set up originally. She raced to her purse, grabbing it from the floor and quickly pulled it onto her shoulder, taking a moment to discreetly wipe at her cheeks when her back was turned. "Mom, hi!" She squeaked.

"Relax." Nora laughed. "Max, Eddie, Jake, this is my daughter, Loren." She waved her hands to three men. Loren shot them a small, embarrassed smile, chewing on her bottom lip. "I am glad to see you are playing again, Lo; does this mean that you are doing okay?" She said quietly as she walked toward the stage as Loren began heading down the steps, gripping the glass of water with both hands. Loren shook her head, trying to keep her hands steady.

"It is nice to meet you three," Loren said quickly, passing the water glass to her mom and rubbed her hands against her jeans. "I just…I am sorry to be so rude, but I really have to get out of here, Mom." Loren squeaked. Her heart was breaking, and she was two seconds from crying. Nora wrapped one arm around Loren's shoulders and pulled her into a tight, one-armed hug.

"Oh, Lo!" She whispered, pressing a kiss to Loren's head. Loren shook her head, pulling away from Nora. She pressed a hand to her forehead and taking a deep breath.

"I am fine!" Loren laughed humorlessly. "I just came by to drop off the keys, and I am gonna go." She grabbed the keys from her purse and handed them to her mom. She made her way over to the three men, extending her hand. "It was so nice to meet you all." She said, shaking Jake's hand. "Max, thank you so much for letting my mom out of school early yesterday," she joked as she shook his hand. "Lunch was amazing; you really didn't have to do that. I appreciate it. And, can I just say that I am a major MK fan? Instead of my mom singing lullabies to me as a kid, I heard the crooning love songs of Max and Katy Duran." She grinned at him and leaned toward him, blocking her mouth with her hand. She jokingly said to him at a normal volume, "I think I just might be a bigger MK fan than I am an Eddie Duran fan."

Max laughed, pulling Loren into a big hug. He jokingly nudged Eddie's shoulder who pressed a fist to his chest like he was wounded. "I wish I still had fans your age, but I don't have too many. But, I do agree that I am twice as talented as my son." He joked. Loren laughed.

Loren held her hand out to Eddie. "It is so nice to meet you. I am such a huge fan. I think I actually have a poster of you still hanging up in my room from when I was crazed fan in high school." She laughed, running a hand through her hair when they finished shaking hands. She bit her lip, looking away in embarrassment.

"First, you say you like my dad better! Then, you say you are no longer a crazed fan. My heart is broken!" Eddie said, shaking his head, pouting.

"I like to believe that I have matured a lot in the last two years." She said quietly, looking away for a moment.

"Yeah, she is a college girl now," Nora said, wrapping an arm around Loren's shoulder. Her hand was cold from the water glass that she had set down on the bar. Loren leaned into her mom's side.

"Yeah, can't act like a fourteen year old girl who is lovesick over a musician," she smiled. "But, on the inside, picture me jumping up and down and screaming with excitement," she laughed.

"I just have to say, Miss Loren Tate, that the song you were playing before was beautiful. You are a great guitarist; I know who I have to call if my guitarist ever breaks his hand. I have never heard that melody before though. What song is it?" Eddie asked. Loren blushed, looking down.

"You wouldn't…It is just a little song I wrote in high school." She said quietly, absentmindedly grabbing the rings from around her neck.

"You are a songwriter? Nora, you didn't tell me that she was a songwriter." Eddie said, glancing at her. Loren could tell that he was slightly relieved that she had never mentioned it; she figured that a lot of moms always told him how talented their child was whenever he met them, trying to get their kids record deals.

"She is an amazing songwriter—a singer, too." Loren narrowed her eyes at her mom. "But, I am not supposed to tell anyone that. Loren liked to keep her music to herself. There was only one person she ever shared her songs with." Loren pulled away from her mom then, running hand through her hair.

"Right, well, again, it was so amazing to meet all of you. I really wish that I could have stayed to see the concert, but I am gonna head home now. Good luck tonight. Bye, Mom. See you tonight."

"Lo," Nora said, reaching out to grab Loren's arm, but Loren dodged her grasp and started toward the door.

"Huh…" Eddie said loudly. "Never had a fan turn down tickets to my concert."

"Well, my best friend and my mom's former fiancé's daughter will be here, so the tickets won't go to waste." Loren had stopped at the doorway and turned to face them. "I just..." She shook her head, giving them a sad smile. "March twenty-third is not a good day for me." She said as her explanation. She left the club and quickly made her way home.

* * *

At about seven in the morning, she left a note for her mom that said she was going to the cemetery to say goodbye to Cameron, and she had her phone. She had dressed in a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and a pair of flip flops. Her hair was in a bun high on her head, and she wore no makeup. She brought her guitar and a blanket with her. She stretched the blanket out by his tombstone and pulled her guitar from the case. She strummed it lightly, deciding that she was going to bring it back to school with her. Loren laid the guitar in her lap and took her necklace off, sliding her rings on and stretching his ring out in front of his tombstone. She grabbed her guitar again, adjusting it in her lap. "So, I played the guitar yesterday for the first time in two years, Cam. I played the song I wrote for you." She said as she strummed her fingers over the strings. "It was our first date. You picked me up at six, and you took me to dinner. Then, we went to the movies, some romantic comedy that I couldn't pay attention to, because you held my hand the entire time. Then, you walked me home and were so nervous, standing on my front porch. I think I feel in love with you at that moment, because you were so sweet and perfect. Then, you kissed me, and it was the best thing I had ever experienced. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be with you. Do you want me to play it for you now?" She began to play her guitar, smiling to herself as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

_"Today was a fairytale; you were the prince  
I used to be a damsel in distress  
You took me by the hand, and you picked me up at six  
Today was a fairytale; today was a fairytale_

_"Today was a fairytale; I wore a dress_  
_You wore a dark gray t-shirt_  
_You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess_  
_Today was a fairytale_

_"Time slows down whenever you're around_  
_But can you feel this magic in the air?_  
_It must have been the way you kissed me_  
_Fell in love when I saw you standing there_

_"It must have been the way_  
_Today was a fairytale_  
_It must have been the way_  
_Today was a fairytale_

_"Today was a fairytale_  
_You've got a smile that takes me to another planet_  
_Every move you make; everything you say is right_  
_Today was a fairytale_

_"Today was a fairytale_  
_All that I can say is now it's getting so much clearer_  
_Nothing made sense until the time I saw your face_  
_Today was a fairytale_

_"Time slows down whenever you're around_  
_Yeah; yeah_

_"Can you feel this magic in the air?_  
_It must have been the way you kissed me_  
_Fell in love when I saw you standing there_

_"It must have been the way_  
_Today was a fairytale_  
_It must have been the way_  
_Today was a fairytale_

_"Time slows down whenever you're around_  
_I can feel my heart; it's beating in my chest_  
_Did you feel it?_  
_I can't put this down_

_"Can you feel this magic in the air?_  
_It must have been the way you kissed me_  
_Fell in love when I saw you standing there_  
_It must have been the way_

_"Can you feel this magic in the air?_  
_It must have been the way you kissed me_  
_Fell in love when I saw you standing there_

_"It must have been the way_  
_Today was a fairytale_  
_It must have been the way_  
_Today was a fairytale_  
_Today was a fairytale_." She finished the song, setting the guitar aside and wiping at her cheeks.

"Wow…that was…wow." Loren jumped when she heard Eddie's voice. She frowned, not knowing why he was there. "Sorry to bother you!" Eddie said, holding his hands up. "I always come to see my mom on Sundays when I am in LA." He told her. "So, those are the lyrics for the song you played yesterday. They are beautiful." Loren pressed her left hand to her forehead. "Oh…wow…"

Loren's left hand instantly went behind her back. She wasn't embarrassed about the rings, but she only wore them now when she wanted to feel connected to Cameron. People expected explanations when they saw her wearing the rings. His eyes strayed to the tombstone she was sitting by and the ring on the necklace on the ground. Loren cleared her throat, picking the necklace up with her left hand, holding the ring tightly in her fist. "Eddie, allow me to introduce you to my husband, Cameron." She whispered, pressing her right hand to the tombstone.

"Husband?" He whispered, kneeling on the other side of Cameron's tombstone.

"It is a long story."

"I have time." Loren nodded her head.

Loren started at the beginning. She talked about the origin of the song he just heard her sing. How she and Cameron had known each other since elementary school. The day before ninth grade started, Cameron called Loren up and asked her to go to dinner with him for their last night of freedom. He took her to the café, bought her dinner, and then took her to a movie. They shared their first kiss and started high school as a couple. They dated for the next four years, and they were each other's first in everything. They knew that they were going to get married and grow old together. They had their whole lives planned out. She told Eddie about how Cameron had proposed in December of their senior year, and that they were going to get married after she had graduated from Brown and moved back to California. She talked about how they were going to have two kids and two dogs, and he was going to be a math teacher and she was going to be a lawyer. She talked about how they knew exactly what they wanted out of life: each other.

She paused for a moment before she started talking about her last day with Cameron. "Cameron was never late for anything. It was a Wednesday, and we had off from school that day, so he promised that he would take me San Diego for the day to hang out by the beach. He was going to pick up lunch for us and then come get me. My best friend, Mel, and her boyfriend, Adam, were going to go with us, and they were already at my house. I was freaking out, because it was getting later and later. He was supposed to be there at nine in the morning, but then suddenly it was ten. I gave him another twenty minutes before I started calling his friends. They knew that he was supposed to spend today with me and that they hadn't seen him." Loren kept her eyes locked on the ring in her left hand, running the index finger of her right hand along its edge over and over. She paused for a few moments.

"My cell phone rang, and it was his mom. She told me that something had happened. She told me that I needed to get to the hospital as soon as I could." Loren took a shuddering breath. Mel drove and Adam called my mom, asking her to meet me at the hospital. I walked into the hospital's emergency room, and they directed me to his room. It was like a maze, and I could barely think of anything more than moving one foot ahead of the other. I met his parents, and I couldn't even process what they were saying about what happened. I went into the room, trying to keep a brave face on, because I didn't want to show him how upset and scared I was."

Loren wiped at her cheeks, staring at the tombstone, running her hand over his name again. "I held his hand and smiled at him, but he knew I was upset. He told me that he could tell because I was squeezing his hand too tightly. He said that there was nothing to worry about, because we have all of these great plans; we were going to have kids and have a house on the hillside. We were going to love each other forever and always." She smiled and closed her eyes. "His breathing was shallow, and he said he was getting tired." Loren shook her head. "I knew that something was really wrong, and that I needed to do something to show him that I loved him. I thought that maybe he would be okay if God knew that I needed him with me. So, I called the nurse in and told her to bring the chaplain. I ran next door, and there was this elderly couple. He was recovering from heart surgery, and I asked them if I could borrow their wedding rings. They agreed, and the chaplain married us in front of my mom and his parents and our friends and the nurses and the doctor." Loren wiped at her cheeks.

"I still remember my vows to him. They were the same things he said to me when he proposed in the café. I told him that I would want him forever and always, through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I told him that we would grow old together and we would always remember whether we were happy or sad that we would love each other forever and always." She closed her eyes, lost in the memory. "His heart started to fail then…" She whispered, letting out a strangled cry. "The beats on the heart monitor started slow, and he could barely get out the words." She traced her fingers over his last words on the tomb stone. He said, 'I'll love you forever. Forever and always. Please just remember, even if I'm not there, I'll always love you. Forever and always.' His eyes were fluttering closed and he was started to breathe slowly. The chaplain said that we should share our first kiss as man and wife." Loren blew out a shuddering breath again. "I kissed him, and then the heart monitor started screaming, because his heart stopped. The doctors and nurses rushed us out of the room so that they could work on him, but he died." Loren broke down then. Eddie pulled her into a hug, and she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Oh, Loren. I am so sorry." He whispered, holding her tightly in his arms.

"They gave me his ring, and I tried to return them to the elderly couple after I sat with his body for a little bit." Loren told him when she recovered. "They told me that I should keep them, because they had their entire lives together, and that he and I didn't get that chance, so they would always be a reminder of how much we loved each other." Loren carefully removed the rings and put them back on the necklace with Cameron's. "So, I decided that I would wear them on a necklace so that they would be close to my heart, because he is in my heart forever and always." Loren glanced at the tombstone. "I told his parents to put his vows on the tombstone, because they fit how he felt for everyone he loved." Loren wiped at her cheeks.

"They are beautiful. I understand why you were upset yesterday." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You were lucky that you found someone that meant that much to you." He whispered. Loren nodded her head. "If you ever need to talk, you can call me, okay?" He picked up her phone and saved his number in his contacts, texting himself so that he had her number. "I am always here to talk. My mom died in a car accident four years ago, and I know it isn't the same—not even close—but I know how hard it is to lose someone that you love." Loren pulled him into a hug.

"I am sorry about your mom, Eddie. I know that she was an amazing woman; I can't imagine losing my mom like that. She was what held me together after Cam…" She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "If you ever need to talk, you can call me, too." He smiled, pressing a kiss to Loren's forehead.

* * *

The last few months of the school year passed rather slowly for Loren. She and Eddie texted each other at least once a day most of the time, and talked on the phone for an hour at least once in a weekend; they steadily became really close friends. When she got home from school for the summer, Eddie invited her to come to the recording studio. He met her out front when she had arrived, and as they were walking to the room where he would be recording, he told her that he wrote a song for her.

"For me?" Loren asked, shocked. Eddie smiled at her, taking her hands in his.

"Yeah, I wrote this song the day I came across you in the cemetery. I won't record it if you don't feel comfortable, but I wanted to tell your story. I wanted to show people how much two people can love each other; I want to dedicate this song to you and Cameron." Loren felt the tears fill her eyes, and she took a deep breath before nodding her head. Eddie pressed a kiss to her forehead, hugging her tightly for a moment before he made his way into the sound booth. Loren stood beside Jake, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It is a really great song, Loren." He told her, and she nodded. The music began, and Eddie smiled at her, locking his eyes on hers. He took a deep breath and began to sing.

_"She's sitting at the table  
The hour's getting later  
He was supposed to be here  
She's sure he would've called  
She waits a little longer  
There's no one in the driveway  
No one said they've seen him,  
'Why? Is something wrong?'_

_"She looks back to the window_  
_Suddenly, the phone rings_  
_A voice says, 'Something's happened'_  
_That she should come right now_  
_Her mind goes to December_  
_She thinks of when he asked her_  
_He bent down on his knee first_  
_And he said..._

_"'I want you forever_  
_Forever and always_  
_Through the good and the bad and the ugly_  
_We'll grow old together_  
_Forever and always'_

_"She pulls up to the entrance_  
_She walks right to the front desk_  
_They lead her through a million halls,_  
_A maze that's never ending_  
_They talk about what happened_  
_But she can barely hear them_  
_She tries to keep a straight face_  
_As she walks into the room_

_"She sits by his bedside_  
_Holds his hand too tight_  
_They talk about the kids they're gonna have_  
_And the good life_  
_The house on the hillside_  
_Where they would..._

_"Stay_  
_Stay there forever_  
_Forever and always_  
_Through the good and the bad and the ugly_  
_We'll grow old together_  
_Forever and always_  
_And always remember_  
_Whether rich or for poor or for better_  
_We'll still love each other_  
_Forever and always_

_"Then she gets an idea_  
_And calls in the nurses_  
_Brings up the chaplain_  
_And he says a couple verses_  
_She borrows some rings_  
_From the couple next door_  
_Everybody's laughing_  
_As the tears fall on the floor_  
_She looks into his eyes and says..._

_'I want you forever_  
_Forever and always_  
_Through the good and the bad and the ugly_  
_We'll grow old together_  
_Forever and always_  
_And always remember_  
_Whether happy or sad or whatever_  
_We'll still love each other_  
_Forever and always'_

_"Forever and always_  
_Forever and always_

_"She finishes the vows but_  
_The beeps are getting too slow_  
_His voice is almost too low_  
_As he says..._

_"'I'll love you forever_  
_Forever and always_  
_Please just remember_  
_Even if I'm not there_  
_I'll always love you_  
_Forever and always.'"_

The moment Loren heard Eddie's song, she started crying. It was perfect, and it was exactly how it was with her and Cameron. The moment he exited the sound booth, Loren wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. Eddie held her close, comforting her. It was the first time that Loren felt good in a long time. She didn't understand how it happened, but it was almost like Eddie had started to heal her with this song. She also felt Cameron's presence with her, and she couldn't help but wonder if he brought Eddie into her life so that she could learn to be happy again. For the first time, Loren felt like she would be okay, and she didn't feel guilty for feeling happy or alive. She knew that Cameron would want her to be happy and to live her life. She felt at peace.


End file.
